As of Wednesday, 16 of President Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees have been successfully confirmed to their posts.
While some, like Secretary of State Marco Rubio, sailed through, others, like Attorney General Pam Bondi, saw their confirmation process marred with pointed confrontations and deep dives into their personal lives, as was the case for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Commerce’s Howard Lutnick.
HOWARD LUTNICK: COMMERCE
Howard Lutnick, chief executive officer of Cantor Fitzgerald LP and US commerce secretary nominee for US President Donald Trump, right, and President Donald Trump during an executive order signing in the Oval Office. (Getty)
Cantor-Fitzgerald investment firm CEO Howard Lutnick, one of the richest men to ever be part of a presidential administration, was confirmed on a party-line vote to become Commerce Secretary late Tuesday.
Lutnick was confirmed 51-45 with Republican Sens. Dan Sullivan of Alaska, Jerry Moran of Kansas and Democrats Cory Booker of New Jersey and Gary Peters of Michigan not voting.
The multi-billionaire’s late January hearing was one of the more emotional forums for the second Trump administration’s nominees.
The now-secretary, whose mammoth firm was based in the World Trade Center, became emotional while speaking about his brother, Gary, being tragically killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks.
Lutnick’s own life was spared because he chose to take his son to kindergarten that Tuesday morning and was not in the Twin Towers.
Lutnick’s brother, Gary, was tragically killed while working at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, along with 657 of the Lutnick brothers’ friends at their financial firm, Cantor Fitzgerald, the commerce nominee described during the hearing.
Lutnick said that he took his son to kindergarten that day, sparing his life.
“The company was located on the top five floors of the World Trade Center. I still can’t say it without being emotional, sorry, but no one in the office survived,” he said on Wednesday, appearing to hold back tears.
“I made the decision that I’ve made enough money in my life,” Lutnick said. “I can take care of myself. I can take care of my family. It is now my chance to serve the American people.”
RFK Jr. (Getty Images)
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., son of a former U.S. attorney general and New York senator and the nephew of a president, officially joined the Trump administration on Thursday.
In a near-party-line vote, Kennedy was confirmed as Health and Human Services secretary – with Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., joining all Democrats in opposition.
McConnell notably contracted polio as a child, and has in the past credited modern medicine and the love of his parents – Addison Mitchell McConnell II and Dean McConnell – for making it through the worst of the terrible disease.
After the Senate confirmed Kennedy, McConnell said that as a polio survivor, he’s watched vaccines save millions of lives and will not therefore “condone the re-litigation of proven cures, and neither will millions of Americans who credit their survival and quality of life to scientific miracles.”
SENATE CONFIRMS RFK JR TO SERVE AS HHS SECRETARY
In Kennedy’s confirmation hearing, the fireworks came more from the Democratic side, prominently involving Sen. Ronald Wyden of Oregon.
Kennedy repeatedly insisted that he was not “anti-vaccine” and slammed multiple Democratic senators for pushing a “dishonest” narrative against him that he has “corrected” on national TV many times.
“The receipts show that Mr. Kennedy has embraced conspiracy theories, quacks, and charlatans, especially when it comes to the safety and efficacy of vaccines. He’s made it his life’s work to sow doubt and discourage parents from getting their kids life-saving vaccines,” Wyden said during the hearing.
Kennedy was also accused by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., of making a “U-turn” on abortion.
He was opposed by several members of his iconic Democratic family – including Caroline Kennedy and her son Jack Schlossberg.
Brooke Rollins (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)
Brooke Rollins, the CEO of the America First Policy Institute think tank she founded during Trump’s first term.
During that time, she was his director of the Office of American Innovation and acting director of the Domestic Policy Council.
Rollins was easily confirmed by a 72-28 margin. Notable Democrats voting in favor of Rollins included Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Peter Welch of Vermont and Adam Schiff of California.
“Brooke’s commitment to support the American Farmer, defense of American Food Self-Sufficiency, and the restoration of Agriculture-dependent American Small Towns is second to none,” Trump said on social media after she was confirmed.
Unlike some of the other confirmation hearings, Rollins – like that of USDOT Secretary Sean Duffy – was largely cordial.
Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Director of National Intelligence, is introduced by former Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C. (Getty)
Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard was confirmed on a near-party line vote Wednesday to become the nation’s next director of national intelligence.
Gabbard, a former Democrat who became disillusioned with her party after several disagreements, including an allegation from Hillary Rodham Clinton that she is a “Russian asset,” won the support of every Republican senator – except Kentucky’s Mitch McConnell.
McConnell later said in a statement that Gabbard’s record proves her “unworthy of the highest public trust, and when their command of relevant policy falls short of the requirements of their office, the Senate should withhold its consent.”
GABBARD SPEAKS OUT AFTER LEAVING ‘WOKE’ DEMOCRATIC PARTY
“In my assessment, Tulsi Gabbard failed to demonstrate that she is prepared to assume this tremendous national trust.”
In a 52-48 vote, with all Democrats joining the former Senate Republican Leader in opposition, Gabbard concluded an uphill battle following a contentious confirmation hearing where her views on issues such as the patriotism or treachery of NSA leaker Edward Snowden were closely examined.
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., was seen as a crucial ally in convincing most of his fellow Republicans to support Gabbard, as Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Todd Young of Indiana initially had reservations.
Scott Turner (Getty Images)
Former then-Washington Redskins cornerback Scott Turner was confirmed as the new secretary for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Feb. 5.
Two Democrats – Sens. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Peter Welch of Vermont – joined all Republicans in supporting Turner’s confirmation.
Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., lauded Turner during his confirmation hearing as a reformer who would reverse the “far-left housing policies” that have “ballooned” mortgage rates and more during the Biden administration.
HUD SEC DIRECTS AGENCY TO BAN TRANSGENDER WOMEN FROM FEDERALLY-FUNDED FEMALE-ONLY SHELTERS
Turner previously served in the first Trump administration as director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council. He also worked alongside Scott and then-HUD Secretary Benjamin Carson on Opportunity Zones – which aim to help underprivileged and minority communities.
Trump previously said Turner’s work spearheaded an “unprecedented effort” to revitalize “distressed communities.”
On his first day in office, Turner directed HUD staff to suspend all pending and future enforcement actions related to the Obama-era Equal Access Rule, which required HUD-funded programs and shelters to determine eligibility based on a person’s self-identified gender.
Turner said that the move was part of Trump’s agenda to “restore biological truth to the federal government.”
Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., left, and Dick Durbin, D-Ill., (durbin.senate.gov)
Rubio, a longtime Florida senator from Miami, and the son of Cuban immigrants, enjoyed a relatively calm confirmation hearing when it came to interactions with lawmakers.
However, several Code Pink protesters, angry over what their shirts denoted as the “killing of children in Gaza,” had to be removed from the room due to outbursts.
The final protester shouted at Rubio in Spanish, to which the now-secretary remarked that his protesters are at-times bilingual.
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Rubio was confirmed unanimously 99-0. At the time, Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, was still lieutenant governor and had not been seated in Vice President JD Vance’s place.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
A veteran and former Fox News host, Hegseth laid a more contentious path through the confirmation process.
Hegseth earned two Bronze Stars and several other medals while serving in the Army National Guard. He joined Fox News Channel in 2014 and resigned upon his Pentagon nomination.
The nomination became embroiled in controversy after several stories surfaced taking aim at Hegseth’s character. Hegseth’s former sister-in-law filed an affidavit alleging that he had an alcohol abuse problem and had made his ex-wife fear for her safety.
While Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., offered praise for Hegseth’s confirmation – later telling reporters he clearly answered every question put to him – other lawmakers did not view the nominee the same way.
When protesters disrupted the hearing, Cotton said they appeared to be from the “Chinese Communist [Party] front-group” Code Pink and were upset about Hegseth’s support for Israel.
“I support Israel’s existential war in Gaza. I assume, like me and President Trump, you support that war as well,” Cotton said.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., also grilled Hegseth about his qualifications to lead America’s troops.
ZELDIN GRILLED IN CONFIRMATION HEARING
“I do not believe that you can tell this committee or the people of America that you are qualified to lead them. I would support you as a spokesperson for the Pentagon,” he said.
Critics, including Fox News contributor Joe Concha, claimed irony in the lawmaker’s grilling – as Trump previously dubbed Blumenthal “Da Nang Dick” after claims surfaced that Blumenthal had misrepresented his own military service during the Vietnam War.
In the end, a 50-50 split, brought on by GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joining all Democrats in opposition, led to Vance having to cast his first tie-breaking vote of the congressional session to confirm Hegseth.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. (Getty)
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum received substantive Democratic support in his final confirmation vote of 80-17 last week. Three Democrats did not vote.
His confirmation hearing’s tenor was also mixed, with fellow North Dakotan, Sen. John Hoeven, calling him the right man for the job.
Some Democrats, including Sens. Catherine Cortez-Masto and Mazie Hirono, however, offered pointed questions about environmental issues and other concerns during the hearing.
When Cortez-Masto asked about the Trump administration repealing electric vehicle credits, Burgum said he “support[s] economics and markets” and highlighted the comparatively high costs of electric vehicles.
Burgum grew up in eastern North Dakota, near a grain elevator his grandfather operated. He reportedly met future Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer in college and later “bet the farm” to invest a quarter million dollars in 1983 in a tech startup called Great Plains Software.
He eventually became president of the company, which was purchased by Microsoft around the turn of the century.
He served as North Dakota’s governor in recent years, briefly mounting a 2024 presidential bid before dropping out to endorse Trump.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. (Getty)
South Carolina billionaire Scott Bessent was confirmed as Trump’s second-term Treasury secretary on Jan. 28.
With the confirmation, Bessent became the highest ranking openly gay cabinet official in U.S. history.
Bessent was born in Conway, South Carolina, just inland from the famous “Calabash” seafood area in North Carolina and the resort city of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
He previously worked for several global investment management companies for decades, notably including a stint as chief investment officer for Soros Fund Management, led by left-wing Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros.
His politics, however, appear to greatly differ from those of Soros himself – as Bessent once called Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act “‘single most important economic issue of the day.”
During his confirmation process, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., was a noted foil.
Warren reportedly sent Bessent more than 100 written questions on subjects spanning from housing to financial oversight ahead of his testimony, according to PBS.
He was confirmed by a relatively bipartisan 68-29, with one Republican and two Democrats not voting.
Former Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., was confirmed in a comparatively more peaceful process than other nominees. Duffy enjoyed a relatively cordial hearing before Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and the Senate Commerce Committee.
However, 22 Democrats still voted against his confirmation, with Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., not voting.
Within a day of his confirmation, Duffy was faced with a catastrophic midair collision over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., involving a military helicopter and an American Airlines-sanctioned passenger flight from Kansas to Reagan National Airport.
All of those aboard both aircraft died as the fuselage crashed into the shallow but frigid Potomac River, just yards shy of the Arlington, Virginia, airport’s runway.
Soon after, Duffy had to simultaneously handle the fallout from a medical plane crashing near the junction of US-1 and PA-73 in northeast Philadelphia on Jan. 31.
The doomed plane spewed jet fuel as it crashed, setting a row of homes on Cottman Avenue ablaze. Six Mexican nationals on board and one Pennsylvanian on the ground was killed, according to news reports.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright. (Al Drago)
Energy Secretary Chris Wright was confirmed in a 59-38 vote, with one Democrat and two Republicans not voting.
The energy company CEO from Colorado told lawmakers he would unleash U.S. energy potential as secretary.
He has been a critic of climate change regulations and was endorsed by American Energy Alliance chief Tom Pyle, as well as Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo. – the former chairman of the natural resources committee.
Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins.
Former Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., was recently confirmed as Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Collins saw wide bipartisan support in his 77-23 vote. In the Veterans Affairs Committee that heard his nomination, only Hirono voted against him.
Collins is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force Reserve and will now lead the agency meant to care for veterans after their service.
“I do not come into this with rose-colored glasses. This is a large undertaking that I feel called to be at,” Collins said. “When a veteran has to call a congressman or senator’s office to get the care they have already earned, it’s a mark of failure.”
Collins notably garnered a pro-life streak in Congress, vociferously opposing the Affordable Care Act and remarking upon the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, “RIP to the more than 30 million innocent babies that have been murdered during the decades that Ruth Bader Ginsburg defended pro-abortion laws.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. (AP)
Now-former South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem successfully made it through her confirmation hearing to become the nation’s homeland security chief.
As governor, Noem provided South Dakotan resources to Texas and Gov. Greg Abbott to help assuage the Biden border crisis.
As secretary, she has been on hand for immigration enforcement operations undertaken by Border Czar Thomas Homan, including one in the Bronx, New York.
Noem saw a relatively peaceful confirmation process, though only a handful of Democrats ultimately supported her.
“We must be vigilant and proactive and innovative to protect the homeland,” she said at her hearing.
“The challenges in front of us are extremely significant, and we must secure our borders against illegal trafficking and immigration. We must safeguard our critical infrastructure to make sure that we’re protected against cyberattacks, respond to natural disasters and also terrorism.”
Noem was raised on a ranch near Hayti, South Dakota, before venturing into politics.
In 2012, Noem won South Dakota’s at-large U.S. House seat – a GOP flip from its previous officeholder, Rep. Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin, D-S.D.
From there, she moved on to the governor’s office in 2018.
Environmental Protection Agency Secretary Lee Zeldin. (AP)
Former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin sat for his confirmation hearing to lead the Environmental Protection Agency two weeks ago and was grilled by Democrats on his views of climate change.
Senate EPW Committee ranking member Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island questioned Zeldin on the effects of carbon dioxide and pollutants on the atmosphere.
“Is carbon dioxide a pollutant?” the Rhode Island Democrat asked, leading to a short back-and-forth.
Later, after Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., questioned Zeldin about climate change and other concerns, a cellphone that appeared to be Zeldin’s rang loudly.
“That was the fossil fuel industry,” Sanders quipped.
Later, Green New Deal co-sponsor Sen. Edward Markey of Massachusetts questioned Zeldin on comments from a 2016 congressional debate where he said it is the U.S.’ job to “reduce reliance on fossil fuels.”
“I support all of the above energy,” Zeldin replied before Markey cut in.
In the final vote, three Democrats joined Republicans to confirm him – Pennsylvania Sen. Fetterman and both Arizona senators – while three other Democrats did not vote.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe. (Getty Images)
CIA Director John Ratcliffe was confirmed by a 74-25 margin on Jan. 23, with Fetterman not voting.
Ratcliffe previously served as Trump’s director of national intelligence from May 2020 until January 2021, during Trump’s first term in office.
While in Congress representing North Texas, Ratcliffe sat on the House Intelligence Committee and notably garnered support for his confirmation from Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate’s partner panel.
An Illinois native, Ratcliffe later became an attorney in Texas, was elected mayor of Heath and later named by former President George W. Bush to lead counterterrorism efforts in the state’s Texarkana-based eastern district.
President Donald Trump’s attorney general pick, Pam Bondi, right, went back and forth with Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono in her confirmation hearing. (Getty Images)
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi was confirmed to the federal version of her erstwhile role by a vote of 54-46 – with Fetterman being the lone Democrat in support.
Bondi’s hearing was one of those that was marred by tense moments, including an exchange with Rhode Island’s Whitehouse.
Whitehouse grilled Bondi whether her Justice Department would seek to target individuals on a political basis and “look for a crime.”
“It’s a prosecutor’s job to start with a crime and look for a name. Correct?” he asked.
“Senator, I think that is the whole problem with the weaponization that we have seen the last four years and what’s been happening to Donald Trump,” Bondi replied.
“They targeted Donald Trump. They went after him, actually starting back in 2016. They targeted his campaign. They have launched countless investigations against him. That will not be the case. If I am attorney general, I will not politicize that office.”
As her exchanges with Whitehouse continued, she pointed to Kevin Clinesmith – an ex-FBI lawyer sentenced to probation after he illegally altered a FISA document during a federal probe through which Trump’s 2016 campaign had been accused of colluding with Russia.
There have been several other confirmation hearings for other potential cabinet members.
Notably, FBI nominee Kash Patel’s clash with Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., made waves last week.
Patel enraged Schiff over his reported support for January 6 inmates and his reported work in concert with the production of a song sung by the inmates that featured an a capella Pledge of Allegiance from Trump.
The tit-for-tat devolved into a Clintonian spat when Patel riffed to Schiff that his response to the lawmaker hinged on his definition of the word “we” – as Clinton had told prosecutors in 1998 that a response to part of his Monica Lewinsky testimony centered on the independent counsel’s definition of “is.”
Fox News’ Julia Johnson, Adam Shaw, Caitlin McFall, Diana Stancy and Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.
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